Fire-escape



H. M. DAVIS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEQ. 1920.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

In venzor' @k m I Wiiorn$ UNITED STATES HANLEY M. DAVIS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Application filed June 9, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANLEY M. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a fire escape of portable type that is adapted to be utilized as one of the furnishings of a dwelling house or hotel when not in use as a fire escape, and in the event of fire or other emergency to be moved to the window affording the most favorable means of egress and used for descending from the upper floors of the building to safety upon the ground.

Heretofore in actual practice fire escapes have consisted usually of ladders and the like permanently fixed upon the outside of:

buildings, although many more or less portable devlces have been contrived for use within the chambers of buildings, ordinarily each one thereof being limited in its use to one predetermined window. These latter serve no useful purpose throughout the long period of their presence in the location in which they are provided, save in the few.

moments of an emergency; they are un sightly and apt to be in the way.

y my present invention, I obviate the disadvantages of prior types of fire escapes through providing a fire escape that is safe and simple in its operation,capable of being easily shifted from one window or chamber-to another in, order to permit use thereof at the most favorable point and embodied in a chair or other piece of furniture of everyday utility. The combination of fire escape devices with a portable carrier in the form of enables the apparatus to be given a presentable appearance, unobjectionable' and unobtrusive whether installed in bedrooms,

halls, corridors, or other locations, and affords the occupants of the building positive assurance at all times of a means of escape in an emergency.

In the drawings 7 F igure' 1 is a side view of an embodiment of my invention in which the portable carrier is a chair, showing the fire escape in operative position at a window, the wall below the latter being in vertical section.

Specification of Letters Patent.

instance, the braking vlde for the a piece of furniture Patented Aug. 24, 1920. Serial No. 387,608.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional detail view showing one method of detachably engaging the extension devices for supporting the ropes over the window-sill with the chair.

I herein have illustrated the invention applied in connection with a portable carrier in the form of a chair, as such article of furniture offers slightly greater advantages of mobility and form than tables, beds, bureaus, and the like, though the latter may be utilized if desired. The chair, in practice, will be constructed strongly and substantially throughout, preferably with all joints reinforced.

Having reference to the drawings,-

From the front leg 1 to the rear leg 2 on each side of the chair runs a side-bar 3 of metal or wood, provided with a bearing in which rotates the shaft 4. The said shaft extends across the chair, from side to side of the latter, in this instance being located at the rear of the chair. Upon shaft 4. is mounted a drum or reel 5, which is fixed thereto, and upon which is wound one or more ropes G, supporting a car or basket 7 of canvas or other fabric, or of wicker, in which one or more persons may descend to the ground. A crank 23 is provided upon shaft l for use in rotating the drum or reel to wind the rope or ropes thereon. In this means which I propurpose of enabling the unwinding revolution of the drum or reel to be controlled so as to regulate the descent of the car or basket comprises a raised flange or rim 5 upon one end of drum or reel 5, a split expanding brake shoe 8 fitting the interior of said flange or rim 5 a stud 9 fixed in the side bar 3 and engaging said brake shoe to hold the same from turning around with the drum or reel, and a cam 10 located between the split ends of said brake shoe and by means of which the latter is expanded. The cam 10 is journaled in a bearing in connection with side bar 3, and is rocked by means of a lever 11 combined therewith. A rope 12 attached to the end of brake lever 11, and long enough to reach to the ground, is provided to enable an occupant of the car or basket, or some other person conveniently located, to operate the brake lever to retard or stop the descent. This brake rope 12 preferably is not carried in the car or basket 7 with the passenger lest he should get it tangled up with his feet; but is either thrown from ,clear the latter. The said enable the car or the window and allowed to hang down its full length, or is coiled in a pocket 7 that may be provided on the side of the car or basket and from which it will pay out as the car or basket descends. lVith a powerful brake as disclosed herein, su'liicient tension easily can be applied to the brake rope, as the car lowers, to afford absolute control of the descent. The brake may also be easily manipulated by anyone stationed at the chair. By means oftlie crank 23 upon the projecting end of shaft a the rope or ropes 6 may be rewound upon the drum or reel for the purpose ofhoisting the car 7 to the level of the window for another trip.

'A hook or shackle 24 hinged to bar 3 is provided for engagement with a ring 25 firmly and permanently setinto the floor at the window or other outlet utilized for egress, to prevent tipping over or displacenient of the chair under the strain acting thereon during the use of the fire escape.

The ropes 6 and 12 from the drum 5 and brake'lever 11 pass upward therefrom and over and partly around a shaft 13 extending transversely of the chair back and having its ends secured in the side members 14 of said chair bacln be provided upon the said shaft to facilitate the movement of the ropes upon such shaft.

I provide an extension device for carrying the ropes,over the window-sill and supporting and guiding them so that they will extension device comprises upstanding arms or goosenecks 17, the lower ends or feet of which are arranged to rest upon the outer portion of the window-silhw'hile their downturned upper portions 18 carry one or more pulleys 19 for guiding the rope or ropes 6, and 'a pulley 20 for guiding the brake rope 12. The lower ends of the arms or goosenecks 17 have connected pivotally thereto the outer ends of radius bars 16, the inner ends of which are engaged pivotally with the cross-shaft 13 aforesaid combined with the upper portion of the chair. From the said cross-shaft 13 braces 21 extend to the upper portions of the arms or goosenecks 17, said braces being composed of sections hinged together at 22 by joints capable of bending in one direction only, as for example in the case of the jointed brace-rods or supports of carriage- 7 top construction and the like.

The parts are formed and proportloned as shown, so

that when the chair is backed up to a wilt dow and the extension device is placed in position and properly supported upon the window-silhthe arms or goosenecks 17 will project outwardly a sufficient distance to basket 7 to clear windowsills and other outwardly-extending pertions of the wall in descending or subsequently being drawn up again.

The described construction of the exten- Preferably pulleys will sion device enables it to be folded down close to the chair back when not in use, with the members 16 and 17 lying parallel to and closely adjacent the side members 14. of the chair back, and the curved gooseneck p01- tions lSprojeeting only a slight distance to the rear thereof. The car or basket 7, if of canvas or ot'her'fiekible construction, may be folded flat and placed underneath the chair, or may be kept in a suitable prepared place under the cushion of the latter; in either case the ropes may be left attached to the car. If the car is of basket type, of wicker or other substantially rigid type, and must be detached, the attaching hooks are drawn up to the pulleys 19, the slack taken out of the ropes 6, and the ,crank 23 secured. from rotation by any suitable means, as for instance a spring catch a The brake line 12 may be coiled under the seat-cushion, or stored with the car or basket beneath the chair.

If preferred, the extension device may be made easily detachable from the sidemem' bers 14: of the chair back, so as to. enable it and the car or basket to be stowed away out of sight in any conveniently accessible place in the room. 7 In the construction illustrated in Fig. 2, the terminal portions 16 of the members 16 engaging the transverse bar 13 are made in hook-shape, the opening thereto facing upward, and being provided with latches or keepers 16, to'prevent said members from becoming disengaged from the bar 13 while my devices are in use ,as a fire escape. In that alternative form, the folding brace-rods 21 are pivoted to members 16 at points short of the hook-portions, 16

' lVhen my devices are to be used in residences, dwelling houses, etc., where none of the windows is a great distance from the a strong flat spiral ground, I propose to use spring driving the shaft l through multiplying gears comprising a large geardriven by the spring and a small 7 one driven by the large one and fast upon the shaft 1, said spring being wound up by the unwinding revolution of the drum carrying the ropes, and serving to lift the car or basket to the leve'lof the window from which is descended much more rapidly than is possible by hand.

hat is claimed as the invention is A fire escape comprising, in combination, a chair 'or other portable carrier, a reel or more persons suspended by said rope or ropes, braking means for retarding the unwinding revolution of said reel or drum, a

.drummounted thereon carrying one or more gropes, acar or basket suitable to hold one or rope by which an occupant of the car or basket isable to control said braking means so as to regulate the descent of the car or basket, and means for carrying said ropes up and over 'a window-sill and supporting them at a distance from the outer wall of a building comprising an. extension device and to fold down out of the way at other 10 consisting of arms adapted to occupy an up times.

standing working position and provided In testimony whereof I aflix my signature with guides for the difi'erent ropes, radius in presence of two witnesses. bars in pivotal connection at' their inner ends with the carrier and at their outer ends HANLEY DAVIS with said arms, and braces for said arms, Witnesses: said extension device adapted to rest upon ROBERT K. RANDALL,

a window sill when the fire escape is in use ELLEN 0. SPRING. 

